Oh, the dump stinks!

CHENNAI: Nearly 6 months after the biomining process began in the infamous Perungudi dump yard, residents in and around the area have been complaining of foul odour and leachate from the landfill.

Though it began almost 30 years late, biomining process will help the civic body reclaim the marshland and reduce the adverse impact of the trash mountain in the city.

However, almost 50 residents have been forced to vacate from the locality due to health hazards that have worsened recently. For several years, residents in the locality have had to shift out of their home in Perungudi due to the stench emanating from the dump yard. While the trash was burnt late in the night or early morning, it led to frequent fire outbreaks.

Which is why the biomining process that commenced in October 2022 came as a huge relief to them. But now, they claim that the stench is unbearable.

“There has been leachate on the road for almost 6 months. Additionally, there’s water stagnation as well throughout the day. We’re unable to breathe,” said V Parthiban, a resident of Sri Sai Nagar in Perungudi. “A few senior citizens were hospitalised as asthma conditions have worsened due to the toxins released from the landfill. Almost 50 residents have shifted away from the locality. Some even went back to their hometown due to health issues.”

Many residents have complained about asthma and skin issues. Though the welfare associations and several representatives of various neighbourhoods in the area have raised multiple complaints to the Corporation officials, they’re yet to see a change.

Residents pointed out that Corporation officials were only focused on completing the target within the contract period. “During the monsoon season, the situation was worse, as the leachate mixed with rainwater stagnated on the street. We were forced to stay indoors to avoid stepping into the contaminated water. Since the groundwater is contaminated, we buy metro water in tanker lorries but even that comes only on alternative days. So, some people began using the contaminated water which led to skin problems. But nowadays, it’s not even used for domestic purposes,” lamented a resident of Bethal Nagar.

He further added that though there were alternative ways to control the odour by using certain chemical items, it would drive up the cost of biomining, which the government wouldn’t want to incur.

The civic activists stated that the Perungudi dump yard was initially meant only for composable waste, but even industrial and biomedical waste that cause health hazards are found in the landfill. They urge the government to form a separate team for solid waste management to ensure the dump yards follow rules and regulations.

“The biomining process is to remove the legacy waste from the dump yard, but even after it started, fresh waste is dumped daily. And it has been dumped without segregation,” said A Bakkiyam, state committee member, CPIM. “The State government should decentralise the dump yard, because only two dump yards are being used for a highly populated city like Chennai.”

When contacted, N Mahesan, GCC’s chief engineer of solid waste management, stated, “We’re planning to conduct a study by Anna University, and based on the report steps will be taken accordingly. During summer, the odour will be less comparatively. Also, the main reason for the foul smell is that the industries release chemical effluents in the drain constructed near the dump yard.”